We Roll With God

That was my five-year-old sweetheart, Joshie Woshie early this morning! He then asked me to close my eyes and he handed me one of my favorite exercise DVDs – Friday Fight Round 2 – that he found in the room I usual exercise, which he and his brother, Emmie, have taken over to play their video games.

And let me tell ya, this Friday Fight workout is no joke and neither is life:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Our job is to keep calm, pay attention to what God is directing us to do and take life one step at a time. We’re not to imagine the worst case scenarios, but the best case scenarios with God fighting on our behalf – Godfidence all the way!

My appointment with Him yesterday was rereading the book, Conversations with God, and it spoke about how God’s always communicating with us and us learning to LISTEN to what He’s saying.

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.””

Are you listening? All morning I’ve been listening to Him asking what’s on our agenda for today? As I throw ideas up in the air of things to do, I then feel out (listen to my spirit/gut/intuition) whether it’s a yes or no from God by feelings of peace – No peace, no move. I finally felt He was directing me to take care of some important balls I have in the air. God’s direction is always a big YES, no doubt or maybe.

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

I want us constantly acknowledging God in everything we do, God, what would you have me do here? because this is how He helps us keep our lives on track. He knows everything we do not know. He never says to us, You’re on your own, good luck with this life thing! He instead lovingly says, Come to Me, I’m always here for you, directing you and guiding you on the best life path.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

I’m unceasingly thanking God for this beautiful life path He has directed me on that sometimes feels too good to be true, but don’t take my word for it, let Him direct you on the unimaginable path He has destined out for you. In the 1,000 decisions you make every day, don’t miss out, GO TO HIM FOR DIRECTION!

KEEP CALM, YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

That God’s intimately involved in our lives. He proved this quite clearly to a young lady working with us yesterday evening.

This story began yesterday morning when my hubby told me about one staff verbally attacking another staff in our usual Monday morning meeting. When I saw the young lady who did the attacking, I told her that I was very unhappy about what she did and that something like that she should’ve addressed with myself or my husband privately, not in the presence of the entire staff. I gave her my long speech about living lives pleasing to God and treating others how we ourselves would like to be treated.

Fast forward to that evening, the lady who was attacked approached me and said she had a book for me and she’ll bring it in the next day and she left. Twenty minutes later, she came again and shyly asked if she could speak with me if I wasn’t busy. I was working on my book, but I invited her into a restricted area to sit with me. I told her I had heard about what had happened and I was very sorry. I then thought that exactly where I was in working on in my book, is incredibly the same lesson she needed to learn. I asked her to read THE EXACT PARAGRAPH I left off at when she interrupted me:
“This friend I called has been such a blessing to me. The other day I called her complaining that someone doesn’t like me and she even had the best advice then. She said, “So what that they don’t like you?” Again, the perfect words I needed to hear! Everyone doesn’t have to like me, but I plan to continue being my best and most loving self because everything’s between me and God.”

And I asked her, “So what that they don’t like you? Have they removed one strand of hair from your head?” I explained that no matter how hard she tries it’ll be impossible for everyone to like her. I then had her read a paragraph that I had just highlighted in my go to meditation book on my phone:

“For Him (God) and in Him you must love friends AND FOES ALIKE, and pray to Him that all may know and love Him.”

I highlighted this because it’s still a struggle for me, but this is our challenge from God, to love those who hate us and attack us, KNOWING He’s the one to reward us.

“I feel relieved,” she said, amazed how the perfect message from God was on my computer screen waiting for her. If God is for us, who cares who’s against us!

God’s intimately involved in our lives.

KEEP CALM, YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

That was me talking this morning to my Super Daughter, Julie, in an attempt to get her to exercise with me. She refused, but I said, “I will continue to exercise, eat healthy and take care of myself, if only to set a good example for you and your sister to follow.” She didn’t join me in the exercising, but I was happy seeing her prepare a healthy breakfast for herself instead of indulging in the fried foods my sons were having.

But this whole idea of being super humans is where I want us. When the tough times come, we can hold our heads high and hold on to God’s hand super tight as He helps us through any challenge we can possibly face, worried about nothing and trusting God completely. I’m talking Godfidence all the way!

“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Super Human Nik is all in her book mode again and yesterday in an appointment with God reading my electronic version of Jesus Calling on my phone, I came across the term, “intimate adventure.” I loved it so much, I went to my manuscript to see where I could possibly insert it because that’s the essence of my entire book – our entire lives can be intimate adventures with God, when we allow Him to take the lead role. He astonishingly knows every intimate detail about us.

Fast forward this morning in my appointment with Him, this time reading the hard copy of the same book I keep in our bedroom. I asked, ‘God, what do you have to say to me?’ randomly opening to the month of September. I then turned the page and read the devotional for September 2:

“You consciously live, move, and have your being in Me (God), desiring that I live in you. I in you and you in Me. This is the intimate adventure I offer you.”

Wink! Wink! And once again everything lined up a little bit too perfect, with God reminding me that He is my Partner in everything I do, including my book – a message from His heart, to my heart, to your heart. He’s been getting me up early, and I feel like I’m in training to be a focused and disciplined Super Human, all to His glory.

KEEP CALM, YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

Having trouble sleeping? Are you sad, depressed, not happy in any area of your life? I have the best solution for you: God.

I showed some friends yesterday an old picture of myself where I was really fat and very miserable. I went from one extreme to the other from starvation diets to gorging myself with food. As soon as I woke up in the mornings, I ran to our bathroom scale and whether I was happy or depressed for the entire day depended on if the number on the scale was going up or down. My thoughts were constantly fixated on losing weight! Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and not knowing what else to do, I prayed, “God, I need Your help with this.”

I would say within two weeks of saying that prayer, my mom burst into my bedroom door early one morning and said, “Nik, I found the perfect guy for us.” She had trouble sleeping the night before and had seen Dr. Joel Fuhrman talk about his weight loss plan, ‘Eat To Live.’ After watching him for myself, I made up my mind to try it out. On Oct 1, 2011 my life changed when my friend Sal and I embarked on his six-week challenge of healthy eating.

Almost five years later, the insanity about my weight is gone. I now know exactly what to eat to keep my weight under control, doing as Dr. Fuhrman suggests, making fruits and veggies 80-90% of my entire diet and exclude all processed oil like olive oil or vegetable oil. My friends laughed at me drinking my veggie and fruit smoothie yesterday, but the Nik who now gets up to exercise before 6 most mornings to is healthy, happy and strong. I was so impressed with myself as I exercised one morning this week, I was feeling extra energetic from all the good foods I’m focused on giving my body.

Like I wrote earlier this week, God answers our specific prayers when we ask for His help. I figure He doesn’t want to intrude on our freewill and this is why He patiently waits for us to come to Him for help instead of automatically fixing us Himself.

“Am I looking younger?” I annoyingly questioned my daughters yesterday. I’m experimenting to see if I give up sugar and fried foods, if would it help my skin to look younger and three weeks in, my brutally honest kids said my skin is looking younger. Woohoo, I may just have to give up sweets and fried foods forever! But, I feel great, so that’s my real motivation to keep Eating To Live.

GOD AND DR. JOEL FUHRMAN, I’M FOREVER GRATEFUL!

KEEP CALM, YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

The God maniac who’s forever talking about the importance of appointments with God, hasn’t been having them lately. I’ve been very bad and as I confessed this to someone yesterday, I asked if she would have one with me and she agreed. I decided for us to read my fav meditation book when I’m anxious about anything, ‘Jesus Calling Morning and Evening’ by Sarah Young, written as if God is speaking to us. We opened up to her birthday, March 23, and as we started reading, I started screaming and hugging her because it was the perfect message for me:

“When you entrust the details of your life to Me, you are surprised by how thoroughly I answer your petitions. I take pleasure in hearing your prayers, so feel free to bring Me all your requests. The more you pray, the more answers you can receive. Best of all, your faith is strengthened as you see how precisely I respond to your specific prayers.”

The reason I screamed was because this is exactly what happened to me. I was sitting at our dining room table a few days ago, supporting our daughters’ efforts to study for their tests this week. I looked at Julie, my twelve-year-old in complete astonishment. She was sitting down, calmly studying and I incredibly asked God, ‘How did this happen?’ A few weeks ago, Julie and I were on the war path with each other, with her acting very terribly at home and at school to the point I asked her to be removed from her class and placed in a new class. I can honestly say, she literally got me on my knees every day asking God to please calm her down.

Upon her arrival to her new class, her new homeroom teacher has a talk with her and says, “Julie, I don’t believe what they’re saying about you. If I see good behavior this month from you, I will make you student of the month.” And that did the trick! Every day coming home from work, Julie happily showed me her communication book filled with good comments from all her teachers. Instead of fighting, Julie and I are back to our normal, loving, happy selves.

I’m telling you, God precisely responded to my specific prayers. I told her as she left for school today that even if she doesn’t make in the top three of her class, I’m incredibly proud of her for working so hard on improving herself.

“God knows the heart of each person and one’s innermost needs, feelings, and fears. It’s in His power to give each person exactly what he or she needs.”

KEEP CALM, YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

How about that for a Sunday morning sermon! I can’t tell you how excited I am about my life these days. Every day I wake up wondering, ‘What does God have in store for me today?’ Yesterday I spent a lot of time with my kids and some special friends preparing for some important tests next week at school. I called it the Harvard Club, telling them the preparation for Harvard University starts now by focusing, working hard and giving their best. In other words, “BE A FREAKIN AWESOME INDIVIDUAL.”

I’m all in book mode again, with lots of conversations with God as to where he would like me to go with it. This morning I’m thinking about the subtitle:

‘Daily Reminders For Maximum Wisdom, Peace and Happiness’

This is exactly what has happened to me from writing these posts. I no longer simply react to situations, I’ve calmed down and I listen for God’s direction in everything I do and things work out better than expected. I’m talking the best wisdom from God here! All the problems that I used to worry about have now all been surrendered to God. I fear nothing and my life is at peace. And when you talk joy, there is nothing like this heavenly joy in knowing God is with you every moment as your Friend Partner, Strategist, Counselor, Protector, Teacher and Advisor. Despite all the negativity around me, I’m happy, with my focus on God, determined to be a “BE A FREAKIN AWESOME INDIVIDUAL” all for His glory.

I’m off to another day of studying with the kids AKA my future Harvard graduates.

KEEP CALM, YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

Is exactly how I’m feeling about my life right now. The posts may be boring to some, but honestly after five years of writing them, they have changed me inside and out. I felt so encouraged yesterday reading a comment from my Facebook God sister, Stefanie:

“Love ya girl…keep going…u are a living testimony how God is so willing to be involved in each tiny aspect of our life. And u give so much back to him by making it public and also proclaim His goodness around the globe!!! Mwah.”

And that’s exactly what has happened, God has become involved with every tiny aspect of my life. How He keeps track of each and everyone of us is so beyond the capabilities of my brain, but trust me, He does.This I will never get over!

One area God has certainly gotten involved with is with my marriage over the last 14 years. I asked my hubby last night, “How do we get closer?” His answer surprised me, “Nik, we’re not going to get any closer than this.” God has truly been my Marriage Counselor. I have my important appointments with Him and He has truly trained me, along with some other people He has sent my way, to be the best, calm, faithful, respectful, honest and loyal wife I can be and leave the rest with HIm. I tell everyone that the love in marriage is like bread, you eat it up and you have to keep remaking it over and over again.

Another big lesson God has taught me is to wait:

“Embrace waiting. Wait on God. It is a form of faith and a declaration that there are things that must happen that you do not control.” — Ed Gungor

There have been issues in my marriage which I’ve had no control over, no matter how hard I tried, and that I simple surrendered over to God – “God, you deal with this!” And with lots of prayer and patience, I’m a super happy and proud wife. Tonight we have some special plans – without the kids!

GET GOD INVOLVED! Is the message of these boring posts! Then you’ll be like me asking, ‘God, what’s going on here? This seems too good to be true!’
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 King James Version
KEEP CALM, YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

A friend said to me a few minutes ago. So, OK, I get that not everyone is as enthusiastic as I am about God, but I was happy when a young lady who works closely with me and my husband said to me recently that she gets why I’m so passionate about writing these posts. She said she can see the difference God is making in my life from my marriage to our business. She said as I write them I’m also learning and my life reflects it. That was a huge compliment for the God maniac!

And my hope is that as this young lady did, you too will see the value of a life lived close to God. It saddens me when I see people making bad decisions, especially when families are being torn apart under the influence of negative and bad advice. My prayer is that we’ll have such a closeness with God that we constantly seek Him in every decision we make and allow Him to direct and guide our life.

I will sing God’s praises forever! The Nikki before God was a complete disaster. I was drinking alot, overweight, unhappy, worrisome, fearful – in other words a complete wreck! But God came in and changed all of that. Little by little He has been helping me to become a new person. Right now, I can honestly tell you that this is the happiest point I’ve ever been in my life, all thanks to God.

Everything I say and do and everywhere I go is now a conversation with God – He is my priority. And based on whether what I’m thinking feels right or not determines if I go forward with it. He has these unimaginable plans for our lives when we stick close to Him. I’m up super early now, looking forward to everything He has in store for me on a daily basis.

“If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you… all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you…” (Deuteronmy 28: 1-2)
Keep Calm, You’re Rolling With God

I pray you get this same feeling from this “positively gorgeous” tumblr.com blog:

“For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

This is an incredibly beautiful verse. Here is the illustration: God speaks His Word to us. We receive it and it does something radical to our hearts, changing them in a way nothing else can. Then it returns to God in the form of modified behavior as a result of our newly changed hearts.

Now, I don’t care who you are, that’s art, right there. That is positively gorgeous.

It’s important for us to remember something, though: that change is not our own doing. It’s something God does within us. He is constantly feeding us with a love that overflows and spills out of every pore. He hands us a strength to resist temptation, and when we stumble and sin He anoints our heads with grace to forgive us.

It’s also important to remember that this is not something that happens all at once. It’s a continual process of repentance and renewal that will last for our entire earthly lives. Every day, we are a little bit better than we were the day before. Not perfect, but better.

You see, God is a wonderful artist. None of us can deny that; just look around at all of His beautiful creations. Every day is another stroke of the brush on His canvas, which is you.
You are not perfect, but you are forgiven. Don’t be discouraged. God is actively working on you. And one day, when we meet Him face to face, you will be completed, framed and glorified.
You are His masterpiece.”

KEEP CALM, YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

Said a good friend and customer to me yesterday evening. I replied, “God’s the Ultimate Magician who can make anything happen!” He and my husband were trying to persuade me to be more security conscious in Nigeria, but I’m sticking with my faith in God, He’s my security -“God may kill me, but still I will trust him.”

This friend and I always have these God conversations and I told him how God is intimately involved in all our moments and that He was right there with us right then. And this morning in my appointment with Him, God did confirm He was there with us! I was sitting outside, enjoying the morning sun and reading again from my Bible devotional of over 700 pages and I incredibly opened to the following:

“Scripture scholars tell us that Jesus came for an important mission – to proclaim the good news and make the Father known to the world. And because he did not want anything to distract Him from this primary mission, He had to dissuade people from turning Him into a MAGICIAN. His miracles were aimed at helping people to believe in the power and love of God, and not to take their eyes of the target.”

Seeing that word “magician” showing up and everything again lining up a little bit too perfect, was my God wink. I guess that’s why I’m not so concerned about my security because God is constantly reminding that His Presence goes with me wherever I go and He’s a part of every moment of my life. How sweet is that?

Here’s the deal:

Reading this has really encouraged me again with my life’s mission: To bring humanity closer to God, who loves us and is intimately involved our lives. We’re to fix our eyes on Him, not this world.

From one moment to the next, we don’t know what will come our way, but if we can pause, focus on God, He will help us with His wisdom to live the best life. That moment the night before in wanting to scream, but instead having an appointment with God, I saw things from His perspective and the crazy Nikki that wanted to make an appearance was sent away and I calmly dealt with the situation in a loving and peaceful manner, forgiving quickly and I was happier for it. God is teaching me the true definition of love which is not unmannerly!

And God’s wisdom is the best wisdom, so slow down and go to God in every decision. His ways are higher and better than our ways.

God,
Thank you for loving us so much. Amen.

WE ROLL WITH GOD

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